President owns assets worth Rs 5.6 crore

New Delhi: Setting a precedent for all those who hold high offices, President Pratibha Patil, Monday, declared her assets.

The President has assets totalling 5 crore 61 lakh 1 thousand 639 rupees. She has Rs 1 lakh 87 thousand 166 rupees in cash. She also owns jewellery worth 31 lakh rupees. Besides these, she owns a house, a farmhouse, and has invested in bonds.

Patil took the decision though the Central Information Commission (CIC) had suggested that it is not mandatory for the President to declare her assets. The CIC made this observation even after assessing that various other functionaries like ministers, judges and election commissioners were making disclosures voluntarily.

Passing the order in this regard, Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi underlined that the commission is not expected to do so, as it is not mandated under the RTI Act.

The observation came while hearing a plea of RTI activist Subhash Agarwal, seeking details of the assets of the President and her family.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had reminded ministers about the annual declaration of assets along with that of their spouses. Former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar had also written to ministers in this regard on June 02.

More than 600 IAS officers of the 4,000-odd in the service have missed the May 31 deadline for declaration of assets, and the lists of movable and immovable properties of IPS officers are still trickling in.